About the Book

Many clinicians recognize that denying or ignoring grief issues in children leaves them feeling alone and that acknowledging loss is crucial part of a child’s healthy development. Really dealing with loss in productive ways, however, is sometimes easier said than done. For decades, Life and Loss has been the book clinicians have relied on for a full and nuanced presentation of the many issues with which grieving children grapple as well as an honest exploration of the interrelationship between unresolved grief, educational success, and responsible citizenry. The third edition of Life and Loss brings this exploration firmly into the twenty-first century and makes a convincing case that children’s grief is no longer restricted only to loss-identified children. Children’s grief is now endemic; it is global. Life and Loss is not just the book clinicians need to understand grief in the twenty-first century—it’s the book they need to work with it in constructive ways.

Reviews

"This book is user friendly and the index is so clearly laid out you can dip in and out of it very easily, supported by multiple references and websites which are recommended throughout to support the reader."— Valerie Keane, Bereavment Care

"This book is masterfully written and comprehensive in its coverage of a broad range of loss issues for children and their families. Goldman clearly states a variety of problems, and those are followed by well-documented strategies and solutions. She provides a vast number of useful community contacts as well as wide-ranging print and electronic resources. This is a major contribution for people helping grieving children and their families—and for the families themselves." — J. Shep Jeffreys, EdD, FT, author of Helping Grieving People

"From death and divorce to immigration and cyber-bullying, Goldman views the losses of childhood through a wide-angle lens and dispenses compassionate advice. Life and Loss speaks practically to parents, teachers, counselors and the rest of us, offering a trove of recommended books, insights and web sites that support those who support grieving children." — Robert A. Neimeyer, PhD, coeditor of Grief and the Expressive Arts

"Linda Goldman has given us a guide, encouragement, and a mandate. Each edition of Life and Loss adds new situations and resources. Goldman is at the top of my chart and should be for you. Make sure you have her books in your library. You can’t go wrong." — Richard B. Gilbert, PhD, CT, graduate school of social and behavioral sciences, Mercy College

"What a remarkable new edition for a trusted resource by a trustworthy clinician! Goldman offers panoramic perspective to the changing grief environments children must navigate in today’s cyberfocused world. Both my mind and my heart were stretched by Goldman’s analysis and insights. The bibliography of recommended children’s books is superb. Goldman’s writing deflates the cultural clichés, and readers will think about this book long after they have finished it." — Harold Ivan Smith, DMin, FT, Saint Luke's Hospital, Kansas City, and author ofBorrowed Narratives

"Linda Goldman provides invaluable insight and clear direction for coping with life after loss; we have relied on her inspired work to guide hundreds of our traumatically bereaved families from despair into hope. She is an absolute treasure, and Life and Loss is an absolute must for every caregiver's bookshelf." — Bonnie Carroll, president and founder, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

Table of Contents

Children’s Loss and Grief. Myths of Grief. Four Psychological Tasks of Grief Work. Techniques for Grief Work. Preparing For a Goodbye Visit. Saying Goodbye to a Pet. The Child’s World of Technology. Family Diversity . . . The New Norm: Challenges for Children. Family Complications and Separation: Gone but Not Forgotten. Especially For Educators. The Global Grief Team. Let’s Explore Resources.

About the Author

Linda Goldman is the author of several books, including Breaking the Silence: A Guide To Helping Children With Complicated Grief and Raising Our Children to Be Resilient: A Guide to Helping Children Cope With Trauma in Today’s World. She has been an educator in the public school system as a teacher and counselor for almost twenty years and has a private grief-therapy practice in Chevy Chase, Maryland.